Crunchy Pork Carnitas

I love Mexican food and these pork carnitas may well be one of my new favorites. I’m not kidding you when I say they are seriously amazing!

I spotted these over at Buns In My Oven several weeks ago and have been dying to make them. I’m so glad I finally got around to it. These are just like the authentic carnitas you’d find at one of those street taco stands. The flavor is fantastic and the crispy edges are so good. The thing I loved about these was how simple they were to make and the simple list of ingredients — nothing crazy that I had to run to the store and buy, only to never use again. All my boys absolutely loved them. The only bad thing about them being so good was there wasn’t any left over for me to eat for lunch the next day which means I guess I’ll have to make them again for dinner this week. I don’t think I will get any complaints from my boys.

If you are looking for something new and delicious to make this week for dinner, you need to make these . . . you won’t regret it.

Place the pork in a large, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven. Add the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, and salt. Add just enough water to the pot to cover the pork.

Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered, without stirring, for 2 hours.

Increase the heat to medium high and stir/turn the meat occasionally. The more you move the meat around the more it will fall apart.

Continue cooking for 45 minutes or until all of the water has evaporated, leaving only the pork fat. Let it fry, turning as needed, until the pieces are somewhat crispy and browned.

Add more salt as needed and serve on tortillas with garnishes

Recipe Notes

Do not fear the mess the bottom of your pan will be in after making these. There will be a black, thick layer of gunk — just fill your pan with water and leave to soak overnight and everything will wipe right out in the morning, or you can fill it with water and put it back on the stovetop and bring it to a boil and let it boil for 10-15 minutes, then remove from heat and let it cool and then clean it out